Radiator relief valve



E. 'o. H. POEPPEL.

RADIATOR RELIEF VALVE Filed my 20. 1925 April 12 1927.

Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES EMIL 0. H. ronrrnn, or CHICAGO, ILLnvors.

RADIATOR RELIEF VALVE.

Application filed May 20, 1926. Serial No. 110,450.

The present invention relates to radiator relief valves and has for its principal objects the provision of certain novel constructional features in connection therewith, and

o more particularly the invention resides in iuterposing a spring between the thermostatic element and the valve, whereby distortion of the thermostatic element is prevented when the valve becomes seated but 10 further expansion of the thermostatic element continues;the providing of an adjustment screw at the bottom of the valve housing for vertically adjusting the normal posi tion of the thermostatic element; the providing of means for guiding the vertical movement of the thermostatic element during its expansion and contraction; the providing of means for centering and locking the adjustment screw with the thermostatic element; the providing of a dust cap for the valves air outlet, whereby dust that may enter the ports of the cap is deflected from entering the air outlet; the providing of novel means for swedging the body portion of the valve housing to its nipple or neck portions; and the provision of means forreadily convertingsteam radiator systems into vacuum systems.

These and any other objects hereinafter appearing may be attained by the illustrated embodiment of the structure hereinafter particularly describedinthe body of this specification and illustrated in the accom-v panying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the valve in section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of means for swedging a nipple or neck portion to the body or housing portion of the valve.

F 5 is a sectional view of a modified 4:, construction showinga dust cap covering the air outlet of a steam radiator relief valve.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5, showing a=device adapted to replace the dust cap, thereby converting the ordinary steam system into a vacuum system. v

In the c lrawings, a radiator relief valve is shown comprisinga housing havinga domeshaped head portion 1 and a bell-shaped base portion '2. The head. portion has a vertically,projecting tubular neck 3 swedged thereto, which comprises the air out-let 4.

The upper portion 5 of the tubular necks bore is diametrically greater than its lower portion. A gravity operated valve 6 in the larger portion of the bore is adapted to seat therein and close the air outlet against the inflow of air when the steam pressure drops below atmospheric.

An internally screw-threaded dust cap 7 is screwed to the air outlet neck and is provided with ports 8 adjacent the outer edge of its top. These ports do not register with the air outlet and any dust that may enter the ports is thus deflected from entering the air outlet.

The base portion of the housing has a nipple 9 swedged thereto and is adapted for connection to the radiator, not shown. A helical spring 10 is interposed 'between'the telescoping flange-headed tube 11 and the tubular thermostatic element 12. An inverted hood 13 has a rod 14 swedgedthereto' which vertically projects above, and depends from, its head The depending portion 15 thereof telescopes with the flange-headed tube and the projecting portion is a needle valve 1-6 which is adapted to close the .air outlet during the vertical expansion of the thermostatic element. The hood 13 serves to guide the valve and is shaped like the floats common to radiator valve strueturesof this class. If water'should flow into the elevice sufficiently to lift the hood, due to the trapped air therein, the valve would accordingly be closed and prevent the escape of water. 1 j

A cupped ferrule 17 embraces the lower end of the thermostatic element and has a radially disposed keyhole'slot 18, the smaller aperture 19 registering with the bore of the thermostatic member, and the larger a perture 20 being offset there-from. An adjusting screw 21 through the base of the housing is adapted to adjust the normal ,position of the thermostatic element. The "adjusting screw has anannular groove 22 intermediate its ends and above its screw threads '23, which is adapted to pass through the offset portion of the ferrules larger aperture and be centered in the smaller aperture at the groove. The head of the adjusting screw telescopes with the bore of the thermostatic element. I

The cupped ferrule has a plurality of radially disposed outwardly projecting tongues ,24 which are adapted to slidingly engage the inner side ofthe hood and space the same with respect to the thermostatic element during the inter-relative movement between the hood and the thermostatic element.

The adjusting screw 21 passes vertically through the sleeve 25 which is swcdgcd to the ham oi? the housing. The sleeve is internally screw-tlncaded adjacent its upper end to receive the adjusting screw and externally screw-threaded adiacent its lower end to receive the stutliingbox 26 which enihraces the adjusting screw.

lhe nipples or necli's have annular simulders F27, and flanges 28 disposed at right angles thereto and co-nT inl with the nipples or necks. in swedging the nipples or necks to the body or housing, the nipples or necks are inserted into the apertures which they are inteniled to lill. torce being employed to retain the shoulder against, and in correct juxtaposition with the walls of the body or housing. The flange portions on the nip pics or necks are then curled by force into gripping engagement with the body or housing. This operation is probably best understood from Fig. 4-, wherein the flange portion is shown before it curled, the dotted lines 28 indicating the position of the flange after the swedging operation is completed. It is obvious that said shoulders might be in the term of a plurality of radian disposed lugs and that said flange might be split to form a plurality of radially disposed tongue, either or both of which would serve the purpose intended by said shoulder or said flange.

In the modified construction shown in Figures 5 and 6, the usual dust cap for the air outlet of steam radiator relief valves is replaced by a device whereby the steam radiator system is converted into a vacuum system.

The converting device comprises a tubular nipple designated generally 29 having a contracted externally screw threaded neck 30 covered by a d ust cap 3!. The base portion 23:2 ot' the nipple has internal screw threads whereby the converting device may be used to replace the dustcap of the steam radiator reliet' valve. A gravity operated valve 33 in the contracted neck, closes against the inflow of outside air but opens by pressure of the air inside the radiator when incoming steam is admitted.

In operation, the dust cap for the steam radiator relief valve air outlet is removed and the converting device is substituted in its stead. hen the steam admitted to the radiator, the air inside the radiator lifts the valve and escapes to the outsit atmosphere. The valve remains seated against the inflow oi outside air after the steam is shut oft, thereby maintaining a vacuum and establishing a vacuum radiator system.

It will thus be seen that the adjusting screw may be used to fix the normal position of the thermostatic element and that the helical spring, which is interposed between the thermostatic element and the valve mecln anism, will automatically prevent distortion of the thermostatic element after the valve has seated and expansion of the thermostatic element continues. It will be obvious that the thermostatic element is positioned with respect to the bellshaped base that it is always above the water level whenever there may,' be water therein.

The cupped ferrule serves the dual purpose oi centering and loeliii'ig the adjusting screw with the thermostatic Qltllltl'll? and provides the guiding and spacing means tor the inter-relative movement between the lherniostatic element and the hood.

The means used to swedge the housing of the valve to the nipples and necks is simple, eli'ective and economical in marmlacture.

Although but one specilic enibodiment oit this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims;

I claim:

1. A radiator reliei valve comprising a housing having avalve therein, a thermo static element, said valve-having a. hood depending therefrom and surrounding the thermostatic element, means interposed between the valve and the thermostatic element adapted to prevent distortion of the thermostatic element during its expansion, and a member embracing the thermostatic element and having a plurality of radially disposed outwardly projecting tongues adapted to slidingly engage the inner side of the hood during the. inter-relative movement of the thermostatic element and the hood.

2. A radiator relief valve comprising a housing having a valve therein and a thermostatic element adapted to close said valve during its expansion, a cupped lcrrule adapted to embrace the thermostatic element, said ferrule having a radially disposed keyhole slot, the Sll'litlll' aperture be ing concentric and the larger aperture be ing ofi set therefrom, and an adjusting screw adapted for adjusting the normal position of the thermostatic element and having an annular groove intermediate its ends, said screw adapted to pass through said oitset portion and be centered in said smaller aperture at said annular groove.

3. A radiator relief valve comprising a housing having a valve therein, a thermostatic element, said valve having a hood depending therefrom and surrounding the thermostatic element, means interposed between the valve and the thern'iostatic element adapted to prevent distortion of the thermostatic element during its expansion, a cupped ferrule embracing the thermostatic element and having a plurality of radially disposed outwardly projecting tongues adapted to slidingly engage the inner side of the hood and space the same with respect to the thermostatic element during the interrelative movement between the hood and the thermostatic element, said ferrule having a radially disposed keyhole slot, the smaller aperture being concentric and the larger aperture being ofiset therefrom, and an adjustment screw adapted for adjusting the normal position of the thermostatic element and having an annular groove intermediate its ends, said screw adapted to pass through said ofiset portion and be centered in said smaller aperture at said annular groove.

4. A radiator relief valve comprising a housing having a. needle valved air outlet, a tubular thermostatic element, an invert-ed hood having a rod vertically projecting above and depending from its head said vertically projecting rod being a needle valve adapted to close the air outlet during the expansion of the thermostatic element, a flange headed tube interposed between and telescoping with said vertically depending rod and the thermostatic element, and a helical spring interposed between said flange headed tube and .the thermostatic element,

whereby the thermostatic element will not become distorted during its expansion after the valve is seated. Y

5. A radiator relief valve comprising a housing having a valve therein, a tubular thermostatic element adapted to close said valve during its expansion, a. helical spring interposed between the thermostatic element and the valve whereby the thermostatic element will not become distorted during its expansion after the valve is closed, a cupped ferrule embracing the thermostatic elementand having a radially disposed keyhole slot, the smaller aperture of which registers with the bore of the thermostatic element and the larger aperture of which is offset therefrom, and an adjusting screw through the base of the housing adapted for the vertical adjustment of the thermostatic element having an annular groove intermediate its ends and above its screw threads adapted to pass through said offset aperture and be centered in said smaller aperture at said groove, the head of said screw telescoping with the bore of the thermostatic element.

Signed at Chicago this 17th day of May, 1926.

EMIL O. H. POEPPEL. 

